Honey beehive cover



May 18, 1937.

G. J. BOHNET HONEY BEEHIVE COVER Filed June 9, 1956 2 Shgets-Sheet 1 INV ENTOR George cZ'fiohnt ATTORNEY ay ,1937. G. J. BOHNET 2,081,084

HONEY BEEHIVE COVER Filed June 9; 1936 2 She ets-Shet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Patented May 18, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 5 Claims.

The invention relates to the bee keeping industry and more especially to a cover for a beehive.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character wherein by the construction thereof rapid progress can be made during examination of a colony of bees with less disturbance to them and much less danger of attack on an operator. In bee keeping it is a general rule that from eight to ten or more frames of comb in a hive are required to be examined but in doing so both outer and inner covers of the hive must be removed. thus exposing all bees and frames of comb to the outer elements. While only one comb at a time can be handled for examination purposes, all others so exposed require smoke treatment until completed. Therefore by use of a cover constituting the present invention during such examination only one frame of comb is exposed at any one time and this only needs the smoke treatment at the time of extraction; also there is less liability of an unexpected attack by the bees on an operator when making inspection of a comb of a hive and the stores therein because there is minimum chance for infuriating the inhabitants as the operator is shielded and rendered invisible to the bees within the hive.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character wherein the working. thereof is had in a quiet manner without jar or friction and automatically the said cover works for exposing an opening for the withdrawal of a comb from the hive without exposure of other combs present therein and thus in this manner but a single comb will be exposed for inspection at a given time.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character wherein the construction thereof is novel in its entirety and the same is readily and easily operated for the exposure of a single frame of comb from a hive at a single timeand is adjustable for the single exposure of a determined frame within the hive.

A still further object, of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character which is simple in its construction, reliable and eflicient in its operation, convenient forhandling, assuring a safe cover fora hive and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and. pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is-a plan View partly in section of a cover constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a disrupted side elevation.

Figure 3 is a disrupted sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a detailed side elevation of the carriage for the rollers of the cover.

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional 10 view through the carriage showing one of the cover sections held out from a roller thereof to a greater degree than the other cover section on the other roller of said carriage.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the carriage showing the rollers in horizontal section.

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line 88 of Figure 5.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 25 spending parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally a portion of a beehive which is of the usual or conventional kind and having vertically arranged therein a row of comb frames, one of these being indicated at B which is pulled outwardly of the hive for inspection of its comb when an inspection tour of a hive is in order, there being required care and expediency in the handling of this comb frame during such inspection period to avoid disturbance to the bees within the hive so as to eliminate an unexpected attack through infuration of the colony of bees to a fighting mood with resultant injury to an operator. To enable progress of inspection there has. been created a cover for the hive and this constitutes the present invention and will be hereinafter fully described.

The cover comprises a frame H] preferably made from sheet metal and is stampedor otherwise formed with a substantially rectangular shaped open center H and side and end trenches l2 and I3 respectively, these opening upwardly of said frame. Projectingi inwardly from the end trenches l3 at the inner walls thereof are raised ears or tabs M which are adapted for contact with the upper edges of the endsof the open top of the hive A so that the frame will rest in proper position upon the open top of the hive giving free access thereto through the center opening II in the frame Ill.

The frame Ill on the outer wall of the trenches l2 and [3 has an outwardly curled bead l5 which gives a finish to the frame at the top portion thereof.

Fitting Within the side trenches l2 longitudinally of the frame ID are trackrods l6 upon which are slidably fitted runners I! for rockingly supporting a carriage l8 fitted with centrally located pivots l9 engaged in intermediate bearing lugs 26 on and rising from the runners H. The carriage l8 has journalled therein on opposite sides of the pivotal point or the pivots l9 spring tensioned rollers 2|, the journal of one being extended at one end of the carriage to provide a turning stem 22 which projects through a clearance slot 23 in the outer side wall of the side trench l2 and terminates in a turning head or knob 24. These rollers 2| are suitably tensioned by the springs 25 as fitted within the same and connected with the carriage. These rollers have attached thereto flexible sheetlike cover sections 26 which are adapted to wind upon and unwind from the said rollers on the shifting of the carriage I8 upon the tracks IS. The sections 26 at their outer ends are made secure by retaining pieces 21 within the end trenches l3. Within the carriage I 8 are arranged cross bars 28, these being spaced the required distance from each other to provide therebetween a space or opening equal to a comb frame so that the latter can be withdrawn from the hive upwardly through this space or opening as at 29 for an inspection of the comb, the remaining comb frames being covered by the cover sections 26 and in this fashion obscuring vision of bee inhabitants within the hive of an operator or inspector of such hive. Therefore, a bee keeper will be shielded during an inspection of a comb of the hive from the other combs within said hive and allows for the easy and quick withdrawal of the framed comb from the hive for inspection purposes. In this fashion the colony within the hive of bees will be less liable to disturbance and thus relieving the liability of a bee becoming infuriated and thus terrorizing the entire colony of. bees and bringing the same into a fighting mood.

By manipulating the knob 24 the carriage will be shifted. on its track lB thus alternately winding one of the sections 26 upon its respective roller and the unwinding of the other section 26 from its roller thereby bringing the space or opening between the bars 28 to the proper place for the manipulation of a framed comb to allow its withdrawal from the hive for inspection while the other framed combs within the hive will remain covered and the operator shielded from inhabitants within the hive.

The rocking characteristic of the carriage enables it to be self-adjusting according to the winding or unwinding of the sections 26. on the 0 respective rollers journalled in said carriage and thus maintaining the said sections 26 fiat and close to the open top of the hive.

The cover suspension set forth .is applied to the hive when the topv thereof is removed for the opening of suchhive at this point so as to enable the withdrawal of the framed combs as stacked therein these framed combs being selectively withdrawn for inspection purposes by a bee keeper as is usual.

What is claimed is:

1. A cover of the character described comprising a center opened frame, tracks at opposite sides of the open center and fixed within the frame, runners on said tracks, a rocking carriage fitted with the runners, spring tensioned rollers journalled in said carriage, and flexible sheetlike cover sections attached to the rollers and to opposite ends of the frame and adapted for winding and unwinding on and from said rollers on the travel of said carriage.

2. A cover of the character described comprising a center opened frame, tracks at opposite sides of the open center and fixed within the frame, runners on said tracks, a rocking carriage fitted with the runners, spring tensioned rollers journalled in said carriage, flexible sheetlike cover sections attached to the rollers and to opposite ends of the frame and adapted for winding and unwinding on and from said rollers on the travel of said carriage, and a knobbed stem on one of the rollers for manual turning thereof.

3. A cover of the character described comprising a center opened frame, tracks at opposite sides of the open center and fixed within the frame, runners on said tracks, a rocking carriage fitted with the runners, spring tensioned rollers journalled in said carriage, flexible sheetlike cover sections attached to the rollers and to opposite ends of the frame and adapted for winding and unwinding on and from said rollers on the travel of said carriage, and a knobbed stem on one of the rollers for manual turning thereof, the said frame being provided with a clearance slot in one side for the knobbed stem.

4. A cover of the character described com prising a center opened frame, tracks at opposite sides of the open center and fixed within the A frame, runners on said tracks, a, rocking carriage fitted with the runners, spring tensioned rollers journalled in said carriage, flexible sheetlike cover sections attached to the rollers and to opposite ends of the frame and adapted for winding and unwinding on and from said rollers on the. travel of said carriage, a knobbed stem on one of the rollers for manual turning thereof, the said frame being provided with a clearance slot in one side. for the knobbed stem, and a bearing rising intermediate of said runners and having pivotal connection with the carriage for rocking movement thereof.

5. A cover of the character described comprising a center opened frame, tracks at opposite sides of the open center and fixed within the frame, runners on said tracks, a rocking carriage fitted with the runners, spring tensioned rollers journalled' in said carriage, flexible sheetlike coversections attached to the rollers and to opposite ends of the frame and adapted for winding and unwinding on and from said rollers on the travel of said carriage, a knobbed stem on one of the rollers for manual turning thereof, the said frame being provided with a clearance slot in one side for the knobbed stem, a bearing rising intermediate of said runners and having pivotal connection with the carriage for rocking movement thereof, and trenched formations entirely about the frame and having the tracks and ends of the cover sections counterseated therein.

GEORGE J. BOHNET. 

